July Mamas -- March 1 - 15

[oceanbaby]

Well, it's technically March 2, but I thought I'd get us started anyway!

I had my first midwife appointment, which was great. They were here for 3 hours! I have to say, that although the idea of having the appt. done at my house instead of going to an office sounds great, try doing it with a 3 year old running around demanding your attention.

Still hungry all the time, still picky about what I eat, still feeling lazy. Of course, that could describe me when I'm not pregnant!

[sweet tea]

Yay for March!! Halfway there!!!
I had an appt with the midwife last week! I LOVE the home visits too...Chloe usually gets to play a computer game (like dora or pooh) or I take down a toy (like her little people doll house) that I've put away all month..it lessens the interruptions...a little bit!
She says I'm measuring big and she'll be watchful for twins...*sigh* I gently reminded her I had an ultrasound at 6 wks to rule out the possibility of twins...and there was only one baby... I've gained 11 pounds now..up to 128 and it is ALL in my belly and boobs cuz i look way more pregnant than I am.
I'm debating a 2nd ultrasound...to convince myself there is only one baby and to get the reassurance that all is well...my whole family and DH's wants to know the gender, but hubby and I don't and i know if we get the u/s we'll end up finding out...
I love being pregnant! I've gone through all Chloe's old baby clothes and separated the gender neutral from the girl stuff and got everything washed and put away. DH is so sweet...gaining weight right along with me trying to out-eat me so I don't feel like such a piggy! This month my craving seems to be unsweetened decaf iced tea...with a little lemon from the tree...it can't have more caffeine than chocolate..right?

[spinach]

I've been researching homebirthing for several days now. I'm getting very excited by the idea but I want to do all the reading before I declare an official decision. My mom will absolutely freak out if I tell her I've chosen a homebirth. She's not even comfortable with me seeing a midwife, particularly because she's in her early 30's. I'm trying to make sure her anticipated response doesn't influence my decision. My dh is very supportive of having a homebirth, as long as I'm comfortable with it.

Sunfairy, your beverage of choice sounds great. Unfortunately, I've been going nuts with chocolate. I don't have a big sweet tooth at all, but I'm craving chocolate almost non-stop. Dh and I watched the Oscars and I knew I wouldn't be able to stay up for it all without a little help. I took that opportunity to go on a bit of a chocolate binge - a little sugar, a little caffeine. It worked out quite nicely

[Mamma2Addison]

How awesome to have home visits! DH would never go for any of that though. He just found out a friend of ours had a homebirth recently and wondered what happened to people having babies in hospitals.: Imagine his reaction when I reminded him his mother was born at home, LOL.

We're starting to get more preparation and planning done for this baby. A lot of things are waiting til after our u/s because we're hoping to have a name for this baby when we start explaining the upcoming changes to ds. Anyone have any advice on that? He's 21 months so I'm not too sure what he's going to grasp.

[Snowy Owl]

If chocolate were bad for pregnant women, we wouldn't crave it so much. Right?


Is anyone else experiencing INSANE braxton hicks contractions?
It hasn't been bad today, but over the weekend I couldn't believe it. My uterus was constantly contracting into a tight, hard lump. Every little thing would set it off...like the emotions I felt reading some posts over in activism. It's very noticeable...not exactly painful.
It was not like this with my first pregnancy.

[majazama]

I just want to say that if you crave chocolate, maybe you need more magnesium and calcium in your diet. I'm taking a coral calcium supplement, which has tonnes of trace minerals in it as well. I'm not craving chocolate these days, and usually I'm a chocoholic. It's something to look into, if you're not too keen on eating bowls full of chocolate while you're pregnant.

[Hibou]

My big craving this last week has been kettle chips- the malt vinegar and sea salt kind. I am typically a salt-lover, and since it's the only real 'junk food' I've been craving, I indulge a little!

Feeling way better now- I haven't had any nausea for the last week or so. Does anyone else find that as soon as the nausea goes, the cravings for junk food come?

I went through my baby stuff. I thought I had tons, but as fate would have it, the two women who gave me tons of hand-me-downs when I had my first baby are expecting again too!! So, given that neither of them has much $$$, I thought it only fair to return their old stuff. I am sort of happy though, because that means I will be able to pick out some tiny, new, cute little sleepers and stuff for this baby.

As of my last appt, I had only gained 2 lbs, (I actually lost weight in my first tri. cuz I had such bad nausea and couldn't eat), but I am certain that I have made up for it in the last few weeks, because I've been feeling so much better and eating like a horse! I have a wonderful round belly now, and can't wait for warmer weather so that I can quit wearing sweaters and jackets, and start showing it off!

[ebethmom]

Mamma2Addison ~ My dh won't go for a homebirth either. He says that he wants to be in the hospital "just in case." I keep asking him, "But what if the hospital creates the 'just in case'?" But my compromise was to find a midwife who works in a hospital setting. I still read my copy of Ina May's Guide with great longing, but oh well. (There was also the cost issue, and I can't argue with the fact that money is tight.)

I got to break out one of my Spring maternity outfits! Black/tan/white plaid cropped pants and a cute v-neck black top. My belly isn't quite big enough to hold the pants up right, but I was happy for a new outfit all the same. (New to me anyway! I love cute hand me downs!)

I'm so happy about feeling good this pregnancy! I feel like a normal person with a big belly that hops around every now and then. With ds, I just felt BAD. By 20 weeks last time, my heartburn/indigestion was just awful. But I could do this kind of pregnancy a dozen times over.

[kris1225]

snowy owl - YES on the BH cntx! I usually have them around the time of a pee - either before or after. But definitely several a day.

And is there anyone else that's HUGE? I had my MW appt. today and have gained 31 lbs. That's how much I gained the entire pregnancy with DD. My MW just congratulated me. LOL.

And I go to her birth center for visits as opposed to a home visit. She doesn't do those until the end. I like the little alone time I get. I know that if she was coming over, DD would be driving me nuts.

[happay]

I'm feeling good too! My belly feels really tight and I can tell that it is stretching. My belly button is starting to pop out slowly. It reminds me of a Jiffy Pop container! The right side is slowly rolling out

Hibou - I am also a salty food craver. I want fried foods too. Especially a deep fried pickle. I am going to Phoenix this weekend and plan on having one at the only place I know to get them. :LOL

[Mamma2Addison]

My belly button is flat now. It never popped with ds, but I think it very well may this time. So far I've gained about 12 lbs which is a lot better than last time when I gained a ton. Not being terribly careful with amounts, but getting a lot of exercise this time {a near two year old can do that to you I guess, LOL}.

Hibou ~ I had totally forgotten about those chips. Oh my, our co-op order is due this week. I may have to add a couple bags. I'm all about salty food this time, too. Sweets are ok, but I really have a thing for salty...or sour. And heavy garlic. I was devouring the most garlic-laden pickles I could find a couple of weeks ago.

[Threefold]

Hey all!
I have my u/s tomorrow afternoon and am excited to find out the gender and to verify that all my "long cervix" mantras have worked.
I'm craving mochi ice cream now, yum. . .
but I am also a big fan of Kettle Chips, pickles : and Ben and Jerry's cherry garcia. . .
ugh still eating the veggies, but I don't want 'em. This is very different form my pg with ds and different fomr my usual eating habits, but oh well. . .
I've had a few Braxton Hicks, beginning a few days ago, but only when my bladder is full. I had them nonstop from 6 months on with ds and he came 6 weeks early after 3 weeks on bedrest for preterm labor, so I'm trying to be mellow about them.
I've felt much more baby movement in the last few days, so I;m enjoying that!

[Snowy Owl]

Originally posted by *Mamajaza*
I just want to say that if you crave chocolate, maybe you need more magnesium and calcium in your diet. I'm taking a coral calcium supplement, which has tonnes of trace minerals in it as well.

Good suggestion. I'm not eating large quantities of the stuff, though. The cravings I've had seem more emotional than physical.

And remember: chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices & strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want...

[Mamma2Addison]

Originally posted by Snowy Owl
And remember: chocolate covered raisins, cherries, orange slices & strawberries all count as fruit, so eat as many as you want...

Um, are we talking those jelly-like orange slices? If so, I just got a bag while at the drugstore. Couldn't resist. Any other time, they'd gross me out. :LOL But man, they were yummy!

[Threefold]

now I want them


I thought this was funny. My teaching partner, a former smoker, said the only craving she had while pg was for a cigarette. She didn't give in, of course, but that had to be tough!

[ChildoftheMoon]

I have been craving fruit, I want watermelon! And sushi. Ice-cream does sound good now that someone has mentioned it, and vinegar chips . I am just about 21 weeks and have gained 18 pounds. This is good, I was a few pounds under my normal weight when I first got pregnant. I seem to be one of those people that gain a ton and then lose it all in the first few months postpartem. I gained 62 and 70 with my girls. I am feeling pretty good. I need to get out and walk more, but this rainy weather keeps me in. I have been having major meat aversions, I think this baby wants me to go vegan! I don't really want cheese or milk either. I can stomach yogurt to make a smoothie but that is about it. I have some protein bars on hand for those days that I feel I did not get enough. I am in a phase were I wish time would pass a little faster, trying to just sit back and enjoy though, because I know soon enough I will be yelling, SLOW DOWN! Glad to hear everyone is enjoying themselves. Rub those bellies!
Brandi

[Snowy Owl]

I haven't been able to handle meat either... it just grosses me out.
But cheese and yogurt...mmmmm!

[Artisan]

I've been having tons of BH contractions too.

I had an u/s yesterday, and had one that was visible on the u/s screen -- I actually got to see what a contraction looks like.

We are having a girl!!!!! OMG!!!!!! I already have a son, so this is foreign territory for me. I am so excited to shop, though.

She was SOOOOOO low down in my pelvis (I could tell by where I'm feeling movement as well), that her head was literally jamemd right up against my cervix. It was hard for them to get my cervix and her cranial measurements because of her position. We didn't get to have one of those nice profile keepsake shots because of her position, either. Oh well. But everything else looked good. She is going to be tall and long legged like her mom!

[ebethmom]

Congratulations, Sharonal! I think I'm feeling the same way about girls being foreign. I still think I'm carrying a boy, but maybe that's because boys are all I know.

At this point, I wish I would have a food craving. I seem to have lost my appetite. Or something like that. I still get hungry, but I don't know what I want. Turkey subs with brown mustard and pickles are the only food that sounds good. I have one in the fridge, and I want it now! But today is my out of town teaching day, so I have to save it for supper.

I only want Jersey Mike's subs, and they are too expensive to eat for every meal!

[Mamma2Addison]

Yep, we could go broke catering to my cravings too, LOL. My unrequited craving is for an italian sub from Mama Lucia's, about four hours away from where we live. I don't see dh going that far; he gets a bit ticked when I ask him to go to Wendy's at 1 AM for a Frosty. Can't imagine why...

Congratulations on having a little girl! I can't fathom having a little girl at this point; I'm so used to the quirks of boys now. Of course, a boy felt totally foreign to me before ds was born. It would be quite a change, I'm sure.